Locking device for jails



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. S. & U. SNEAD; LOOKING DEVICE FOR TAILS.

No. 323,748. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

fl wmwpaj; Jzqenlorg Nv PETERS PhnloLithugnphar, Washington, D. R

(No Model.) 3 Sheet,sSheet 2.

- O. S. & U. SNEAD.

LOOKING DEVICE FOR JAILS. No. 323,748. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

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. .dttorneyo N. Pains. PholwLilhogmphur: Wnhington, ac.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. S. & U. SNEAD..

LOOKING DEVICE FOR JAILS.

No. 823,748. v Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

.dttorneyJ N. PETERS, Pholo-Liihognphar. Wnhingion, DJ;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SCOTT SNEAD AND UDOLPHO SNEAD, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR JAILS.

fiPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,748, dated August 4, 1885.

Application filed May 18, 1885.

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES Soorr SNEAD and UDoLPHo SNEAD, citizens of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Jails, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a two-cell jail with parts removed to show the attachment of our improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the arrangement for locking the cell doors from the outside of the corridor. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of Fig. 2, showing also in plan the arrangement for securing the corridor-door. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the box holding the lockinglevers. Fig. 5 shows the guide for the sliding bar. Fig. 6 shows details to be referred to.

Our present invention relates to improvements in the construction ofjails; and it consists in the several combinations of devices hereinafter explained, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention,we will 110w proceed to describe the exact manner in which we have carried it out.

In this locking apparatus we have levers operating in conjunction with vertical locking-bars, and the objects sought to-be secured are, first, certainty in action; second, interlocking in action; third, minimum amount of friction by employing a rotary motion instead of the usual sliding motion; fourth, non-liability to get out of order, and, fifth, additional security by inclosing both cell and corridor door locking apparatus, and also the fooddoor, within a box secured by a combination or other lock.

In the drawings, A represents the iron and steel grating surrounding the cells and corridor of ajail. B B are doors of the cells, and O is the corridor-door.

On the outside of the iron grating we construct the box D, in which are placed the levers for operating the locking devices, as will be hereinafter explained.

(No model.)

.G are'thus secured, the cell-doors are looked,

as will now be explained. Vertical revolving bars or rock-shafts H, extending from the floor to the ceiling, are secured near the openingline of each cell-door, and to upper portion of these bars are rigidly attached short arms I, (see Fig. 3,) one end of these arms being pivoted to the sliding bar E. From this construc tion it is evident that the sliding of the bar E by means of the lever G, as hereinbefore described, will cause the shafts H to rock back and forth. To each of these rock-shafts H we rigidly and firmly secure two or any desired number of dogs, J, so adjusted that when the sliding bar is in position, as shown in Fig. 2, the dogs J will rest against the closed doors of the cells and hold them securely shut, and when the lever G is drawn outward, as shown in dotted lines, the dogs will be by the rockshafts turned from the doors, so as to allow the doors of the cells to be opened and closed.

To open the corridor-door, it is necessary to partially revolve the vertical rock-shaft K by turning the lever M into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. On the rock-shaft K are rigidly attached the dogs L, N, and O, and by roekingthis shaft by means of the lever M these dogs are brought firmly against the closed door or removed therefrom, so as to allow the corridor-door to be opened or closed. When this door is closed and the dogs in place, the bolt of the lock P, Fig. 4, is shot into a notch formed in the dog N, thereby securing the dogs in position, and preventing any strain being brought on the end of the bolt of the lock in any attempt to pry open the corridordoor. The food-door is also placed Withinthe box D,which renders it secure from beingtampered with by outsiders, or being used for improper purposes. It is evident that the rockshai'ts could be extended up through two or more stories of ajail, and be used for securing all the cell or corridor doors by a movement of the levers G and M, operated from the first story.

To open the corridondoor, it is necessary to revolve the dogs L, N, and 0, Fig. 3. Now, this is impossible when the lever G is in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2that is, when the cell-doors are unlocked-as lever G holds the dog L. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) Again, if the corridor'door be unlocked,-it is impos sible to move the lever into the position shown by dotted lines, Figs. 2 and 3that is, to unlock the cell-doorsas the dog L is there in ihe way. The device is therefore interlocking in action, and this interlocking is a safeguard against any iorgetfulness or inadvertency of the jailer. Thus if thejailer wishes to put a new prisoner in the corridor, he orders allthe occupants (prisoners) into the cells, and before he can unlock the corridordoor he is obliged to lock the celldoors, thus securely fastening up the prisoners where it is not possible for them to attack and overpower him, and he is thus rendered secure by the interlocking arrangement of our device. This same safeguard exists during the removal of a prisoner. Then the jailer orders into the cells all the prisoners except the one he wishes to take out; this one remains in the corridor; but, as before, the corridor-door cannot be unlocked till the cell doors are locked. Then all the prisoners are safely confined, and he has only the one he Wishes to remove to care for, and he is safe from attack from the other prisoners.

Having thus explained our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the lever M, rockshaft K, dogs L, N, and O, and lock P, all con strueted and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The levers G and M and rock-shafts II and K, in combination with the sliding bar E and dogs J, N, and 0, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combinatioinwith the sliding bar E, of the lever G, the rockshaft K, and the dog L, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

CHARLES SCOTT SNEAD. UDOLPHO SNFAD. Witnesses:

ALFRED D. ATTEWELL, W. \V. CRAWFORD. 

